Ceist Eile

Ceist Eile is in development. Features, questions and prices may change while we refine it.

Subjects · Leaving Cert Physics

Leaving Cert Physics: Circular motion

How often Circular motion comes up on the Physics papers, every year it was asked, and questions to try.

HL Asked on 9 of the last 10 Higher Level papers, most recently in 2026. banker

June 2027 is the first exam on the new Physics course. These come from the 2016–2026 papers, so read them as a guide.

Circular motion, Higher Level(6 marks)

Quick ones on Circular motion.

(a)Unit of angular velocity?
  1. m s⁻¹
  2. rad s⁻¹
  3. rad s⁻²
(b)Formula for centripetal acceleration?
  1. a = vr²
  2. a = v/r
  3. a = v²/r
(c)In what direction does the centripetal force on a body moving in a circle act?
  1. Towards the centre of the circle
  2. Away from the centre of the circle
  3. Along the tangent to the circle
Show the answers

(a) rad s⁻¹

(b) a = v²/r

(c) Towards the centre of the circle

Your turn: Higher Level questions on Circular motion.

Higher Level

Asked on 9 of the last 10 Higher Level papers, most recently in 2026. banker

Every paper, year by year

YearWhere it came up
2026Q14(b)
2025Q7
2024Q7
2023Q13
2022Q7
2021Q7
2019Q6, Q12(a)
2018Q6
2017Not asked
2016Q12(c)

Links open the State Examinations Commission’s paper for that year.

More Circular motion questions

Circular motion, 2 marks

State Kepler's third law.

  1. The orbital period of a planet is proportional to its mean orbital radius
  2. The cube of a planet's orbital period is proportional to the square of its mean orbital radius
  3. The square of a planet's orbital period is proportional to the cube of its mean orbital radius
Show the answer

The square of a planet's orbital period is proportional to the cube of its mean orbital radius

T² ∝ R³. It follows from gravity providing the centripetal force: T² = 4π²R³ ÷ GM, so T²/R³ is the same for every body orbiting the same mass.

Circular motion, 3 marks

Satellite B orbits the Earth at 4 times the radius of satellite A. How does B's period compare with A's?

  1. 16 times longer
  2. 8 times longer
  3. 4 times longer
Show the answer

8 times longer

T² ∝ R³, so T ∝ R^1.5. 4^1.5 = √(4³) = √64 = 8. Farther satellites move more slowly and have further to go.

Circular motion, 2 marks

A car goes round a bend at a steady speed. Why is it accelerating?

  1. Its direction, and so its velocity, is changing
  2. Its speed is increasing as it goes round the bend
  3. It is not accelerating, because its speed is steady
Show the answer

Its direction, and so its velocity, is changing

Velocity is a vector. Changing direction changes velocity, so there is an acceleration towards the centre of the bend, caused by friction.

Other Physics topics

All of Leaving Cert Physics